Call to ensure special funds in budget for Harijans, Dalits

Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad Secretary General Nirmol Chandra Das speaks at a press conference titled ''Special Allocation in the Budget for the Development of Harijan'' at Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday.Photo: STARStaff Correspondent

Leaders of Harijan and Dalit communities yesterday urged the government for special allocation in the upcoming budget for the communities.

''We are working to keep our society clean but the society deprives us of every basic right, claiming we are inferior,” said Nirmol Chandra Das, secretary general of Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad.

They were speaking at a press conference titled ''Special Allocation in the Budget for the Development of Harijan''. Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad, Bangladesh Dalit Parishad, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Fare and Paritran jointly organised the event at Jatiya Press Club in the city.

The leaders placed seven recommendations for the finance minister's consideration including permanent residence for the communities, as 55 lakh of the community members are living in miserable conditions at government allocated colonies.

Nirmol urged the government to set up schools and provide stipends at university level for the communities' students.

''Our children are often neglected by teachers at schools. To ensure their education, our right, we need standard schools at the colonies. Many of our bright students are failing to continue studies due to financial constraints,” he said.

Nirmol also called to bring the communities' people under the government's safety net programme. ''Though the budget is termed as women-friendly, our communities' women are being deprived of basic rights'', he said.

Khandakar Rejwanul Karim, programme manager of the foundation; Shadhan Chandra Kesh, vice president of the Oikya Parishad; and Ononta Das, executive member of Bangladesh Dalit Parishad were also present.


Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=184686